Meaningful Promises
by ShutUpAndPaddle
Summary: Horatio receives threats about his loved one, yet one of his other CSI's finds themselves accidentally in the firing line instead. Can they track him down before any real harm is done to anyone?
1. Chapter 1

**Meaningful Promises **

**Chapter 1**

Horatio and Zoë found themselves on the sofa, Zoë sitting between Horatio's legs leaning back on him as they sat across the sofa as Horatio delicately played with her fingers as her head rested on his chest. They were watching a document on nature when Zoë casually said something that alarmed Horatio.

"I keep seeing this strange man where ever I go." She said softly, glancing down at their clasped hands. Horatio lowered his eyebrows and she felt him tense.

"Where have you seen him?" He asked, beginning to grow quite concerned already.

"Most places, except at work. I've seen him at some crime scenes, I think I've seen him somewhere before." Zoë said as she exhaled, not thinking anything of it.

"What does he look like?" Horatio questioned as he stopped playing with her fingers. She turned her head and looked up at him, hearing his alarmed tone and feeling his tense body.

"A little smaller than you, with dark short hair and generally wears a suit." Zoë said softly as she looked back to the TV.

"Have you managed to get a look at his facial features?" Horatio questioned.

"Erm, kind of, he's not attractive… I don't know, it's hard to explain, he usually stands a little too far away to give specific details." Zoë said as she glanced up at him again.

"Has he come close to you?" Horatio questioned.

"Once in a shop, but that was one of the first times I saw him so I didn't take note of his features." Zoë said innocently as she glanced back up at him.

"Okay sweetheart, I want to put some police protection on you in that case." Horatio said softly, not wanting to alarm her.

"There's no need for that, he's not come close at all, he just seems a little stalkerish. He doesn't look dangerous." Zoë said looking up at him.

"Well, we both know what stalkers can turn into, even if he doesn't look dangerous. I want you under protection until I can figure out who he is, okay? Just until then." Horatio asked softly and she exhaled.

"Okay, if it'll make you happy but I can't see him doing anything drastic, he's only been watching and following." Zoë said softly.

"That's not normal Zoë, he could be a criminal waiting… you should have told me sooner, when did this start?" Horatio questioned.

"Erm… about 2 weeks ago? I didn't say anything to begin with because I thought it was a coincidence, and I've just told you because I thought you should know." She said glancing back up at him. Horatio exhaled and nodded then placed a delicate kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you for telling me." Horatio said softly and she gave him a small smile, his alarmed response had gotten her thinking. '_I should have brought it up with him sooner, he seems quite worried.'_ She thought to herself as she began playing with his hands.

Sure to his word, Horatio had police protection put on Zoë and a patrol car to drive by the house every 20 minutes. A few days passed and Zoë hadn't seen the man about and hadn't given it anymore thought. Horatio had lightened the police protection as he went with her everywhere she went and felt that he was enough to deter the man from following Zoë, which seemed to work.

Ryan, Eric, Zoë and Horatio were all in a lab, getting on with a case when Zoë walked over to Eric as he looked at a suspects profile on the computer.

"Who is that?" She questioned and Horatio looked up and over at her from the file he was reading. He watched her walk over to Eric, looking intrigued and obviously thinking hard.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Ron Saris" Eric said softly as he looked up at her. She gave him a nod and a small smile.

"Thank you." She turned around and walked over to Horatio as he closed the file.

"Can I talk to you in your office?" She asked and he gave her a nod. They walked out together and Eric looked round to Ryan, looking mystified.

Horatio closed the door in his office.

"The guy that has been following me is Ron Saris, I recognise his picture." Zoë said looking at Horatio and Horatio's eyes widened.

"Are you sure of this?" Horatio questioned as he placed his hand on her arm.

"Positive, it's definitely him. I knew I'd seen him somewhere before. Either Eric or Ryan had brought up his profile on a different case and I got a glimpse of his picture, but when I saw him following me, I couldn't figure out where I'd seen him before. I think he had something to do with you getting electrocuted. That's when I saw his profile." She said as she looked up at him.

"Okay sweetheart, I'm putting protection on you immediately, regardless of whether I'm with you or not." Horatio said softly.

"Is he that dangerous?" Zoë questioned.

"Yes, we know he's been a part of many murders and crimes, but he's never left a trace. He's up to something and I don't like the look or sound of it." Horatio said as he placed his hands on his hips.

"Okay, but what does he want with me?" Zoë questioned, looking up at him slightly confused.

"I don't know sweetheart. I can't bring him in as he hasn't technically done anything wrong on this account, but if he's brought in with regard to this current case, I'll be having a few choice words with him." Horatio said to her.

"It could all just be a coincidence." Zoë said, trying to calm Horatio down as she saw him panicking.

"It's definitely not a coincidence, I know you're lying to me. You know something's up too." Horatio raised his eyebrows at her.

"I was only trying to calm you down, I think you're going over the top." Zoë said softly.

"I'd rather be over the top than risk anything happening to you." Horatio said softly and she nodded at him. They couldn't bring Ron Saris in for questioning as there was no evidence to link him to the crime, he only had a connection with one of the main suspects.

The next day they were called out to another crime scene.

"Zoë, ride with me please." Horatio said as he walked past the group and she nodded at him.

"H, my hummer is out of action as it won't start, is it okay if I use Zoë's in that case?" Eric questioned and Horatio nodded at him as they all made their way out to the hummers and jumped in. They pulled off and Zoë checked her make-up in the mirror as Horatio smiled at her.

"Where's Natalia?" Zoë questioned, realising she didn't see her that morning.

"She rang in sick." Horatio said softly and Zoë nodded at him.

"You know I don't think that Ron Saris guy is following me anymore, he's left me alone since putting the protection on me." Zoë said softly.

"Well, that's how we're going to keep it until I find out what he's up to." Horatio said softly and Zoë nodded at him as they pulled onto the motorway behind Eric.

"Is that why you wanted me to ride with you? Because of Ron?" Zoë questioned.

"Well, it doesn't hurt to ride with me, does it?" Horatio asked with a small smile.

"No, it certainly doesn't." She smiled at him as she placed her hand on his leg. Horatio's phone bleeped at him and he glanced down at it.

"Could you get that, please?" He asked softly and she nodded as she picked the phone up.

"It's a text from some random number." She said as she opened it and read the phone. He glanced over at her and saw her looking confused as she lowered her eyebrows.

"What does it say?" Horatio questioned.

"Hope you said goodbye to Detective Chambers, this will be her last ride." She said looking up at Horatio, clearly confused. Horatio lowered his eyebrows and thought about the message.

"Ring back to the lab and get Travers to run a search on the number." Horatio said softly and Zoë pulled her phone out and phoned Travis. They were nearing their turning off the motorway and they saw Eric swerve in front of them.

"What is he doing? There was nothing there." Zoë said watching him swerve again. They begin to slow as they joined the smaller road, but didn't see Eric's hummer slow. They both watched it intensely.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

They saw him swerve once more when he got too close to Ryan's hummer in front and they witnessed the entire hummer tumble onto its side and begin to roll. Both Horatio's and Zoë's eyes widened when they saw it happen and they knew what the message meant.

"I was supposed to be in there…" Zoë whispered to herself as her mouth fell open.

"Pull over!" Zoë yelled as she pulled her belt off and jumped through the gap in the seats.

"Zoë! I'm driving! Sit down!" Horatio said startled, she then reached into the boot and hauled her first aid kit onto her lap. Horatio pulled over just behind the hummer Eric was in and jumped out and opened the door for Zoë as she jumped out and slammed it shut.

"Eric! Eric you're alright!" Zoë yelled as Ryan pulled over. Horatio was already on the radio to dispatch, ordering an ambulance, fire & rescue and patrol officers. He looked over at the hummer which had landed on its roof, upside down and swallowed.

"Eric, help is on the way!" Horatio yelled as he ran over as Zoë did a quick scout around the hummer and found the only safe way of entering the hummer was through the window on the passenger side. She fell to her knees and pulled on some gloves and looked in through the window.

"Eric, can you hear me?" She questioned, looking at him.

"Eric, answer me if you can hear me." Zoë called loudly and then sat up when she didn't get a response from him.

Zoë placed her hands on the roof of the car and began to crawl in.

"Zoë! It's dangerous, you can't go in there." Horatio said loudly as Ryan ran a hand through his hair.

"I can't leave him, Horatio!" Zoë snapped as she managed to get into the hummer and sat on the roof as she kicked off her heels and threw them out. She pulled the bag in after her.

"Be careful, Zoë." Horatio pleaded.

"I am." She called from in the hummer.

They could hear her talking to Eric, but couldn't hear a response from him but her voice was quickly covered by the sound of sirens as patrol cars got nearer and then pulled up, with their lights going as they silenced the sirens.

They listen to Zoë and finally heard a response from Eric as she checked him over and explained what fire & rescue would do to get him out.

"I can get out myself, I don't hurt anywhere." Eric explained softly.

"Yes, that may be so, but if you try to get yourself out of that seat, you could hurt yourself, especially if you land on your head… you are upside down, Eric." Zoë said softly giving him a small smile.

"Thank God you had your seat-belt on." Zoë said as she held some gauze against a small scrape on his head.

"The hummer wouldn't brake, it must have been sabotaged." Eric said looking at her.

"Yeah, I think Ron Saris was behind it." She said softly.

"It wouldn't surprise me, but why would you think that?" He questioned.

"He's been following me, then just before you crashed, Horatio got a text suggesting that 'it was going to be my last ride', you then crashed so it's very suspicious." Zoë said softly as she heard some men approach.

"That must be fire & rescue, I'll have to get out when they get you out, but you'll be okay, they know what they're doing." Zoë said softly and Eric nodded at her.

"Ma'am, could you please exit the vehicle." A man's voice called as he looked through the window she had climbed through.

"I'll be right out." She called.

"Just stay calm, we'll see you in a moment." She said as she took hold of his hand and placed it over the gauze that was on his head. She scrambled out of the car and Horatio helped her up as she dragged the bag out.

"Are you okay?" He questioned.

"Yeah, Eric's fine as well, he's just got a few scrapes and bruises. It's a bloody miracle that he's not seriously hurt or dead." Zoë said softly and Horatio gave her a nod.

"Where's my shoes?" She asked softly, looking down.

"I put them there." Horatio said as he pointed over to his hummer, he then realised that there was glass everywhere.

"Don't move, I'll get them" Horatio said and she nodded at him. He passed her the shoes and she put them on and made sure Eric was okay as they got him out safely. They finally got him out and he walked over to Horatio, Ryan, Zoë and Walter.

"Thank you, Zoë." Eric said softly.

"Not a problem honey." She said with a smile.

"Thank you" Eric said as he looked over at Horatio and he gave him a nod.

"What did the paramedics say?" Zoë questioned.

"They cleared me." Eric said softly and Zoë nodded at him.

"Are you feeling up to working?" Horatio questioned.

"Yeah, I've only got cuts and bruises." Eric said softly and Horatio nodded.

"You'll have to ride with either me or Mr Wolfe in that case" Eric nodded at him. Horatio turned around and placed his hand on Zoë's back as they walked back to the hummer as Horatio pulled his phone out and rang to get the broken hummer back to the lab so they could investigate. They carried on to the crime scene and closed the case that day and got onto the case of the hummer.

"Was Eric's hummer sabotaged too?" Zoë questioned Ryan.

"No, the battery was dead, it just needed replacing." Ryan said and Zoë nodded at him as Horatio walked through to the lab.

"Have we got anything?" He questioned.

"No, we've got nothing, we can't tie Saris to this at all." Zoë said as she put her hands on her hips. Horatio nodded at her.

"Zoë, can I have a word please?" Horatio asked and she nodded as she walked out with him. They walked through into Horatio's office and Horatio closed the door.

"We'll get him, there's no need to worry." Zoë said, trying to calm Horatio. She could see that he was terrified, she knew he was worrying about her. Horatio nodded at her and then his phone bleeped at him. He pulled it out and it was from another number.

"_I will get her, she's your weakness. She will be mine, I'll keep you alive just long enough to see it happen too. You'll have the privilege of watching me with her bound body, destroying her mentally, desecrating her perfect body. You'll have to watch her beg for you to save her, she'll be begging you to stop me. I've not quite figured out the rest, whether I'd kill her or keep her alive. If I kill her, you'll get to watch that before it's lights out for you too. If I don't kill her, I'll destroy her to the point where she'll take her own life just to end the misery. She won't have you to stop her either."_ Horatio swallowed.

"Is it another text from him?" Zoë asked and he nodded.

"Can I see?" She asked and he shook his head as he put his phone away.

"He's never going to hurt you, Zoë. I will die before he gets his hands on you. I promise you that." Horatio assured her, growing angry and scared.

"Horatio, don't worry. We'll get him. Try and calm down for me handsome." She said softly as she took hold of his hands. She saw the hurt in his eyes and she knew it wasn't a nice message. She could feel his hands trembling slightly and she knew he was absolutely petrified.

"I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure he doesn't get anywhere near you. He's never going to touch you, Zoë." Horatio said as he pulled her in for a hug.

"I know you will, just try not to panic, okay?" Zoë said softly. She felt him relax once she was in his arms. For once, he was the one that needed the hug for comfort. She knew he needed her to be there for him.

"It'll all be alright, Horatio." She tried to assure him. He swallowed and then kissed the side of her head and took in her scent when his phone bleeped at him again.

"_Until next time, Caine. She'll be mine."_ He swallowed as he read the text behind her back and quickly put it back into his pocket and closed his eyes and hugged her tighter.

"I promise you Zoë, he won't hurt you." He whispered into her ear.

The End

**Thank you for reading and to those who've reviewed, the next story is called Desperate Times Calls for Desperate Measures. **


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